Procedures for Translating and Evaluating Equivalence of Questionnaires for Use in Cross-Cultural Studies

Abstract

Taking into account the increased need to understand human behaviour across different cultural contexts there is a greater need than before to translate scales for use in large scale studies. Valid comparisons across cultures require that the translation process be accurate and that the scales being used measure the same psychological constructs across groups (i.e. measurement invariance). The current paper sets out to highlight the state- of-the-art procedures for translating scales and evaluating their invariance across cultural context. We first highlight the different ways in which item translation can go wrong and then discuss procedures for carrying out the translation process. Second, we discuss the construct of equivalence and then using data from more than 430 participants in 3 countries (Romania, United Kingdom and South Africa) we illustrate how one can evaluate measurement equivalence within a confirmatory factor analysis model. It is expected that the current paper will provide the reader with adequate background information on how to carry out translation of scales.